Connector device for connecting at least one optical fiber end piece and manufacturing method

Abstract

A connector device for connecting optical fiber endpieces comprising an optoelectronic chip, a fiber end piece holder and a reflection surface. The chip is oriented for emitting and/or detecting optical signals along a first propagation direction normal to a circuit board. The reflection surface changes a propagation direction of optical signals from the first propagation direction to a different, second propagation direction and/or vice versa. The connector device comprises a layered optical stack mounted to the circuit board and designed for propagation of optical signals along the first propagation direction. The connector device further comprises a coupling adapter piece mounted to the layered optical stack that holds and/or secures the fiber end piece holder in an orientation enabling propagation of signals radiation along the second propagation direction. The reflection surface for changing between both propagation directions is comprised in the coupling adapter piece.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A connector device for connecting at least one optical fiber endpiece, wherein the connector device at least comprises:
 a circuit board having a main surface; 
 an optoelectronic chip, the optoelectronic chip comprising at least one optoelectronic active element capable of emitting and/or detecting electromagnetic radiation; the optoelectronic chip being oriented for emitting and/or detecting electromagnetic radiation propagating along a first propagation direction substantially normal to the main surface of the circuit board; 
 a fiber end piece holder for holding at least one fiber end piece of at least on optical fiber; and 
 at least one reflection surface for changing a propagation direction of electromagnetic radiation from the first propagation direction to a second propagation direction and/or from a second propagation direction to the first propagation direction, wherein the second propagation direction is different from the first propagation direction and/or from the normal direction of the main surface of the circuit board;
 wherein the connector device comprises a layered optical stack comprising a number of layers, the layered optical stack being designed for transmitting electromagnetic radiation along the first propagation direction; 
 wherein the layered optical stack comprises a bottom surface comprising one or more conductor lines; 
 wherein the optoelectronic chip is mounted to the bottom surface of the layered optical stack at the one or more conductor lines; 
 wherein the connector device further comprises a coupling adapter piece mounted to the layered optical stack and/or to the circuit board, the coupling adapter piece being designed to hold and/or secure the fiber end piece holder in an orientation enabling propagation of electromagnetic radiation along the second propagation direction; and 
 wherein the at least one reflection surface is comprised in the coupling adapter piece. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the reflection surface is a surface portion of the coupling adapter piece, the surface portion being oriented and/or designed so as to change the propagation direction between the first propagation direction and the second propagation direction. 
     
     
       3. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the reflection surface of the coupling adapter piece is a reflection surface for total internal reflection, which reflection surface is oriented at an overall inclination angle of between 40° and 50° relative to the main surface of the circuit board. 
     
     
       4. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the reflection surface is a recessed surface portion of a top surface of the coupling adapter piece, the top surface facing away from layered optical stack and/or from the circuit board. 
     
     
       5. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the layered optical stack comprises a top surface and a bottom surface oriented parallel to one another and/or to the main surface of the circuit board. 
     
     
       6. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling adapter piece comprises a bottom surface couplable to the top surface of the layered optical stack in an orientation parallel to the main surface of the circuit board. 
     
     
       7. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the coupling adapter piece is an interface surface abutting a top surface of the layered optical stack. 
     
     
       8. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber end piece holder comprises the coupling adapter piece and is mountable, via the coupling adapter piece, to the top surface of the layered optical stack. 
     
     
       9. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber end piece holder comprising the coupling adapter piece is affixed to the top surface of the layered optical stack and/or to the circuit board. 
     
     
       10. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling adapter piece is affixed to the top surface of the layered optical stack and/or to the circuit board, whereas the fiber end piece holder is detachably mounted or detachably mountable to the coupling adapter piece. 
     
     
       11. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling adapter piece comprises an entrance/exit surface facing towards at least one fiber end piece surface, the entrance/exit surface being oriented transverse to the second propagation direction. 
     
     
       12. The connector device of  claim 11 , wherein the coupling adapter piece comprises at least one first engagement member designed to mechanically secure to the layered optical stack and/or to the circuit board in an aligned position and/or orientation. 
     
     
       13. The connector device of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one first engagement member of the coupling adapter piece is designed to mechanically engage with the top surface of the layered optical stack in an aligned position and/or orientation. 
     
     
       14. The connector device of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one first engagement member of the coupling adapter piece comprises a prong, a tooth, a pin or another kind of protruding member in the bottom surface of the coupling adapter piece. 
     
     
       15. The connector device of  claim 12 , wherein the layered optical stack comprises at least one second engagement member for mechanically engaging with the at least one first engagement member of the coupling adapter piece. 
     
     
       16. The connector device of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one second engagement member of the layered optical stack comprises a hole, a recess, an opening or another kind of indentation formed at least in an uppermost top layer of the layered optical stack. 
     
     
       17. The connector device of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one second engagement member comprises a hole, recess, an opening or another kind of indentation in the top layer of the layered optical stack. 
     
     
       18. The connector device of  claim 12 , wherein the fiber end piece holder comprises at least one third engagement member designed for mechanically coupling to the coupling adapter piece. 
     
     
       19. The connector device of  claim 18 , wherein the coupling adapter piece comprises at least one fourth engagement member for mechanically engaging with the at least one third engagement member of the fiber end piece holder. 
     
     
       20. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling adapter piece is a monobloc body. 
     
     
       21. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling adapter piece is made of a polymer. 
     
     
       22. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the reflection surface of the coupling adapter piece comprises optical surface regions associated with active elements. 
     
     
       23. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the reflection surface of the coupling adapter piece is inclined so as to enable light propagation, between the reflection surface and at least one fiber end surface of at least one optical fiber, along the second propagation direction orientated at an angle of between 70° and 90° relative to the normal direction of the main surface of the circuit board. 
     
     
       24. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the layered optical stack is provided at a distance from the main surface of the circuit board. 
     
     
       25. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the layered optical stack is mounted to the main surface of the circuit board by means of a plurality of electrical contacts. 
     
     
       26. The connector device of  claim 25 , wherein the optoelectronic chip is electrically connected to the circuit board via the plurality of electrical contacts supporting the layered optical stack. 
     
     
       27. The connector device of  claim 25 , wherein the plurality of electrical contacts form a ball grid array. 
     
     
       28. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one optoelectronic active element faces a bottom side of the layered optical stack so as to enable signal transmission along the first propagation direction substantially normal to the bottom surface of the layered optical stack and/or substantially normal to the main surface of the circuit board. 
     
     
       29. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the layered optical stack at least comprises a top layer and a bottom layer. 
     
     
       30. The connector device of  claim 29 , wherein the top layer of the layered optical stack is a patterned layer which comprises at least one engagement member for engagement with at least one engagement member of the coupling adapter piece. 
     
     
       31. The connector device of  claim 29 , wherein the layered optical stack further comprises at least one intermediate patterned layer, the at least one intermediate patterned layer being arranged between the top layer and the bottom layer of the layered optical stack and being shaped to comprise at least one optical surface region associated with an active element. 
     
     
       32. The connector device of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one optical surface region comprises at least one optical lens surface. 
     
     
       33. The connector device of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one intermediate patterned layer comprises a first intermediate patterned layer and a second intermediate patterned layer, and each one of the first intermediate patterned layer and the second intermediate patterned layer comprises the at least one optical surface region. 
     
     
       34. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the top layer is a glass layer. 
     
     
       35. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the layered optical stack underneath the coupling adapter piece comprises four sidewalls at which all layers of the layered optical stack are flush with one another. 
     
     
       36. The connector device of  claim 1 , wherein the layered optical stack underneath the coupling adapter piece is an integral multi-layer substrate piece obtained by manufacture on a wafer level or substrate level basis. 
     
     
       37. A connector device for connecting at least one optical fiber endpiece, wherein the connector device at least comprises:
 a circuit board having a main surface; 
 an optoelectronic chip, the optoelectronic chip comprising at least one optoelectronic active element capable of emitting and/or detecting electromagnetic radiation; the optoelectronic chip being oriented for emitting and/or detecting electromagnetic radiation propagating along a first propagation direction substantially normal to the main surface of the circuit board; and 
 at least one reflection surface for changing a propagation direction of electromagnetic radiation from the first propagation direction to a second propagation direction and/or from a second propagation direction to the first propagation direction, wherein the second propagation direction is different from the first propagation direction and/or from the normal direction of the main surface of the circuit board;
 wherein the connector device comprises a layered optical stack comprising a plurality of layers, the layered optical stack being designed for transmitting electromagnetic radiation along the first propagation direction; 
 wherein the plurality of layers comprises at top layer comprising a second engagement member, a bottom layer, and at least one intermediate patterned layer, the at least one intermediate patterned layer being arranged between the top layer and the bottom layer of the layered optical stack and being shaped to comprise at least one optical lens surface associated with an active element; 
 wherein the layered optical stack is mounted to the main surface of the circuit board by a plurality of electrical contacts; 
 wherein the connector device further comprises a coupling adapter piece comprising a first engagement member, the coupling adapter piece mounted to a top surface of the layered optical stack by engagement between the first engagement member and the second engagement member, the coupling adapter piece being designed to hold and/or secure a fiber end piece holder and/or a plurality of fiber end pieces of optical fibers in an orientation enabling propagation of electromagnetic radiation along the second propagation direction; and 
 wherein the at least one reflection surface is comprised in the coupling adapter piece. 
 
 
     
     
       38. An active optical fiber cable comprising a number of optical fibers and at least one connector device of  claim 37 . 
     
     
       39. An active optical fiber cable comprising a number of optical fibers and two connector devices of  claim 37 , wherein each optical fiber comprises two end pieces and wherein, at either side of the number of optical fibers, a respective one of the two connector devices is mounted to the end pieces of the number of optical fibers. 
     
     
       40. A connector device for connecting at least one optical fiber endpiece, wherein the connector device at least comprises:
 an optoelectronic chip, the optoelectronic chip comprising at least one optoelectronic active element capable of emitting and/or detecting electromagnetic radiation; the optoelectronic chip being oriented for emitting and/or detecting electromagnetic radiation propagating along a first propagation direction; 
 a fiber end piece holder for holding at least one fiber end piece of at least on optical fiber; and 
 at least one reflection surface for changing a propagation direction of electromagnetic radiation from the first propagation direction to a second propagation direction and/or from a second propagation direction to the first propagation direction, wherein the second propagation direction is different from the first propagation direction;
 wherein the connector device comprises a layered optical stack comprising a top layer comprising at least one engagement member, a first intermediate layer, a second intermediate layer, and a bottom layer, the layered optical stack being designed for transmitting electromagnetic radiation along the first propagation direction; 
 wherein the first intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer are arranged between the top layer and the bottom layer of the optical stack, and at least one of the first intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer comprises a lens surface; 
 wherein the bottom layer of the layered optical stack comprises a bottom surface comprising one or more conductor lines, and the optoelectronic chip is mounted to the bottom surface of the layered optical stack at the one or more conductor lines; 
 wherein the connector device further comprises a coupling adapter piece mounted to the layered optical stack, the coupling adapter piece being designed to hold and/or secure the fiber end piece holder in an orientation enabling propagation of electromagnetic radiation along the second propagation direction; and 
 
 
       wherein the at least one reflection surface is comprised in the coupling adapter piece.